[caption id=“attachment_583” align=“aligncenter” width=“150” caption=“Rudy does not approve of our aquatic activities”][/caption]

My parents had my nephews this weekend, so my Step Dad called me around 10 this morning to ask if Caralyne and I wanted to go fishing with him and the boys. Caralyne seemed really excited about the idea of going on a boat and fishing, so we got ready and met them at their house.

[caption id=“attachment_584” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Getting suited up, safety first…”][/caption]

We launched out of Big Break, which is familiar territory. My Dad owned a bait shop here, Hook Line & Sinker, and he also lived in the house right behind the shop for a while. My Sister and I spent a lot of time down here at the marina.

[caption id=“attachment_591” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“It is hard to see behind the dock, but that used to be my Dad’s bait shop”][/caption]

It is also the same marina that Big Mike used to drag me out to in the wee hours of a Saturday morning to fish with him in a tournament. He told the kids today that I was once a “Tournament Fisherman”, with some pride. It is safer to say that I was the official catcher for his grand catches, and I was also the one who would eat their share of the food within the first 20 minutes of the tournament :)

[caption id=“attachment_585” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Caralyne and Jaden”][/caption]

So, just like me, with in 10 minutes of being on the water, all the kids said that they were hungry, bored and thirsty. Mike and I kind of laughed at each other since we seemed to be enjoying the outing, also laughing at the fact that we were the only ones fishing.

[caption id=“attachment_588” align=“aligncenter” width=“200” caption=“Colten and Big Mike”][/caption]

After a few hours to re-baiting worms

[caption id=“attachment_589” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Nightcrawlers”][/caption]

Un-snagging tangled lines, and explaining to 3 kids why this was fun; Big Mike decided to head in, and stop by Jack in the Box. If we had to live off of the land, we would have either had to eat worms, or starve :)

Big Mike wasn’t done though, he had another idea which involved on of his ranch hand duties. He has to regularly smooth out the large riding arena, and he does this with a tractor pulling a large wooden fence post. He decided to nail a piece of plywood to that post, and let the kids sit on it while he re-paved the arena:

[caption id=“attachment_590” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“The Implement”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_592” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“And they’re off”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_593” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Jaden fell off, and now had to catch up”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_594” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“He ate it a few times getting back on”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_595” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Now its Caralynes turn to fall off and catch up…”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_596” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption="…and its her turn to bite the dust as well"][/caption]

I’m pretty exhausted now from corralling kids all day, and I inhaled a lot of dusty sand taking pictures on The Implement. More photos are on my main site’s photo gallery.